Tube actuating machine



Patented Nov. 8, 1932 DONALD sTuRT"sAuMIs, or 'sTRATifoRn'CoNNECTI-CUT,l 'AssiGNoa To TH'NEW HAVEN SAND BLAST CoMPANY,-orNEWBAVEN; coNN'nCTIcUT,` a CoRrRATIoNci-f or CONNECTICUT Y TUBEIACTUATING, MACiiiNE -3 j nppicationiiiea Novinberis;1929.'seriaiMiossec?.1 j,

. invention relates to machines for rotatmfing and `advaiicingfin the'direction of its .axis

a cylindrical object, l particularly a tube.

More especially thefinvention relates to such machines which arevgenerally used for-simultaneously advancing and rotating ai tube orround through an apparatus which Valectsits condition such asstraightening rolls, or grinding, sand blasting, buiiing andothersimilar machines. f

One object of the invention is to' provide an apparatus of the classdescribed which will be easily adjustable VWith respect to the tube axisfor different diameters of tube. Another object is to provide amotor-roller unit which is similarly adjustable. A further ob- V"ject isthe vprovision of an additional'adjust- `able roller. Other objects willappear later.

In the past, apparatus of the general character ofthe present inventionhas been de-l signed, Ybut adjustment of such apparatus 'has beenunhandy or mechanically imperfect. I have now discovered that a very de?sir'able form of apparatus may be provided' r by constructing a motorand a .driven roller as an adjustable unit, anda second rolleras aseparately adjustable unit. Y v

One form of the invention is shownby Way wherein- V Figure l isaperspectiveview of the apparatus, Y

'i Fig. Q is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig-5 ure 1,

Fig. .a is afsection'on'fhe une efaf Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a ragmental view of the bottom Vof `the machine, 'certain'parts being shown in section,and ,Y V j Fig. 5 is a fragmental View ofthetop *of the machine, certain partsbeing Vshown in section. 1 j Y l Mynventioncomprises apparatus for re-4 volving and advancing tubes,including an adjustable motor-roller unit, and a secondk Y roller unitwhich isv also adjustable. -Thus there is provided'a motor-roller unitcom,- prising a driving roller, amotor operatively associated with thedriving roller, and means for adjustingthefposition'of the roller andthemotor together with respect to the aXiS of illustration in theaccompanying drawing,

angles 17 ,Y 18 of the apparatus frame.

of a tube thefrapparatus acts.

There may also be provided an idlerroller and means for.adjusting Ytheposition of the idler 'rollerwith respect to the tube.

Referringy more particularly to the` eir-VV ample illustrated, a drivingroller 1 0 isV mountedupon anshelf 41.1, and a motor 12-is mounteduponanother shelf 13 beneath the first shelf, anjds operativelyassociated With the driving roller. .Ther drivingroller is. preferablyscored: as indicated lto givejmore eliective Vcontact with the tube.idlerv roller 14 may also be mountedon thev shelffll, with its axisparallel y to that j ef the driving .roller,10. Y f j l j l f, 1 Theaxes .of bothy rollers stand Yat `an angle to that of the tube uponvwhich they act, for

apurpose which Will be explained later.

- l Tlietwo, shelves 11 and 13 are .rigidly yc on- -nected together,`forvinstance by means of tWo pairs of angles 15, 16 attached to bothshelves on opposite sides 'of the unit.. These angles together 'with theshelves form a supporting structure for the driving roller and theinotor.v Adjacent .the pairs of angles 15V Y andlf on each side of theunit are a pair of slightly-separated angles 417, 18l forming theupright part of the apparatus frame 19. Betweenthe parallel legs of eachkpair of angles 15,16 there is fastened a plate'QOV which extends intoYthefspacre between the adjacent Thus the' plate 20 at Veach sideofthejshelves which isgfasteneidbetween' the angles 15, l16, Will serveto`guide the u'nitinthe frame as the, 'former is moved up and down.

The meansmfor adjusting the positionof the` roller and-themotor-together,-that is 1 to say.: the motor-roller unit`may comprise aWheel 21 'and threaded stem 22, the latter .Y passingthrough4 andturningin a tapped bushing 23in the lower part of the apparatus frame 19, butbeing keyed to the Wheel 21 and projecting slightly above it. `When the,wheel is turned in one direction thethreaded Y stem 22 will turnupwardly inthe bushing `23. It Will thereby elevate the .Wheel 21, the

projection above the Wheel, and the motorroller unit Whose base restsupon/this projection, When the Wheel 21 is'turned inthe oppositedirection, the stem 22 will descend in the bushing 23, and the unit ofits own weight will descend with it, resting always upon the `projectionabove the wheel. Thus the elevation of the driving roller 10 and theidler-roller 14 carried by the unit may be adjusted for any ydiameter ofpipe. Bolts 24 may be drifted through or otherwiseatjtached to eac-hofthe plates 2Q which slide .inthe frame 19 andV vertical slots 25 maybe provided in the kangles 17, 18 through which these bolts project.Nuts 26 upon the bolts 24, when tightened, will fasten the unit in`position upon the frame, There is thus provided means for fixing thedriving roller in 'adjusted position,

Y VCoacting with the unit just described, I may provide an idler roller27 carried on the under side of a second shelf 28." The axis of theidler roller 27 is inclinedV to the axes of theother rollers', as isbest illustrated` in Fig3. It will thus be seen that the axis of Vanyroller of one unit stands at an angle to the axisY of any roll'erin" theother unit. Furthermore `it will be seen in the example illus-V tratedin the drawings that the axis of any roller lies at an angle of lessthanf90o to that j of the tube to be revolved and advanced.

'The second shelf 28 may be guidedfor vertical motion in the frame bymeans of angles 29 and a plate 30 in the same manner in which the firstunit is guided. Thus a second sup-V porting structure is provided forcarrying `idler roller 27 which it carries.

the idler roller 27 In the upper part of the frame I may provide acylinder 31 and in this cylinder a piston 32.

connected with the second shelf 28, as by means of the angles 29, sothat movement of the piston rod will move the shelf 28 and the A spiralspring 34 may be provided acting in compression between the lower partof the cylinderY 31 and the under side of the piston 32. The strength ofthis spring 34 will preferably be sufficient to elevate the' piston tothe top of the cylinder with the weight of the shelf,

guides, and idler roller attached to it. Thus the idler roller 27 may beelevated out of contact with a tube which is vin position in the`machine. The lower end ofthe cylinder 31 Y' is'pre'ferabl'y left' opento atmosphere.

I may provide pneumaticl means opposing the spring for moving the' idlerroller 27 into cont-act with a tube. Thus by applying pneumatic pressureto the top of the piston 32 the shelf 28 is depressed andV with it theidler roller 27. Yieldable contact between the idler roller and the tubeis thus established and maintained as long as desired. Release of thepneumatic pressure permits the spring 34 to withdraw the idler roller 27from contact with the tube. `The idler roller may thus be adjusted kforany diameter of tube passing through the machine and its A piston rod 33proi j ecting downward from the piston 32 may be' pressure upon the tubemay b e regulated by the pressure of vthe Vpneumatic fluid applied tothe top of the piston. The cylinder, piston, and pneumatic meansconstitute means for yieldably holding the idler roller inadjusted'positionV Y i j y In operation a tube is projected 'into thespace between the roller-motor unit and t-he -id-ler roller andthese twounits arethen adjusted to give the (desired contact withthe tube. Tothis end the 'wheel` 21,V will be rotated in the proper direction tobring the motor-rollerunitinto contact with the tube,

vand thepneumatic means described will be applied to bring the idlerroller also into con- A tact with the tube. The necessary adjustmentswill'be-made to give the desired pressure between the rollers Aand thetube, and the bolts 24, fastening lthe motor-rollerunit-` in place, willthen be tightened. When the' motor is 'started the driving roller willrotate, thus rotating the tube.

Since the axes of all three rollers-stand at an angle to that of thetube .the path of each roller as the tube revolves will be that of,k3.7799

helix about the tube axis. are constrained how-ever, from axialvmovement, ,they will apply an axial motion tothe tube, which will notonly be rotated but will also be advanced through the machine. It willVbe obvious, of course, that variations in the construction hereillustrated and 'describedby way of example may be' easily made, andwill quite naturally occur to one SinceV the rollers skilled in the art.YFor instance, .an idlerr n1C3 roller need not necessarily `be mountedkon the platform with a driving roller,- but may be positioned elsewhere.Also it is not necessary that pneumatic means be used to lower theplatform and idler roller which have -been described. Sill further, itisnot necessary that the motor? be mounted on a di'erent shelf from thatwhich supports the Adriving roller. My claims are, therefore, to n betaken in the broadest sense consistent withrw the properscope of thepresent invention.

' I cla-im v 1. In apparatus for revolving and advancing tubes, adriving roller having its axis at, an angle of 4less than 90 to that ofthe tube to be revolved and advanced, a motor oper.-

atively associated with said driving roller,

and means for simultaneously adjusting the positions of said roller andsaid motor-With` respect to the tube.

structure movable vertically in -said frame, a driving roller carried bysaid supporting structure, a motor also carried by said supportingstructure, means for adjusting the position of said supporting structurein said frame, and means for fixing said supporting structure inadjusted position on said frame, y .in combination with a. secondsupporting structure movable vertically in said frame, .an idler rollercarried by said second supporting structure, and meansY for moving saidsecond supporting structure in said frame tok bring said idler rollerinto andout of contact with a tube. v

4. Apparatus for revolving and advancing a tube comprising a frame, asupporting structure movable v'ertically'in said frame, a

driving roller carried by said supporting A structure, a motor alsocarried by said sup- Y porting structure, means for adjusting thepositionof said supporting structure in said frame, and means for fixingsaid supporting structure in adjusted position on said frame, incombination with a second supporting structure movable vertically insaid frame, an idler roller carried by said second-supporting structure,pneumatic means for moving said second supporting structure in saidframe to bring said. idler roller into contact with a tube, and springmeans lfor moving said second supporting structure and to bring saididler roller out of contact with the tube, substantially as described. l

5. Apparatus for revolving and advancing tubes comprising a drivingroller adjustn able with respect to the tube axis, means for fixing saiddriving roller in adjusted position, an idler roller also adjustableWith respect to the tube axis, and means for yieldably holding saididler roller in adjusted position.

6. Apparatus for revolving and advancingv a cylindrical work piececomprising a plurality of roller units independently movable toward oraway from the axis of the Work piece7 one of said roller unitsconsisting of a driving roller and an idler roller having theirpositions fixed relatively to each other and the other of said unitsconsisting of an idler roller Whose axis stands at an angle to s theaxis of the rollers of the irst unit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DONALD STUART SAMMIS.

